


Tastes like Strawberries

by SadaVeniren



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Harry Styles, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, First Time, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Nesting, Omega Louis, Rimming, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:35:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24332179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadaVeniren/pseuds/SadaVeniren
Summary: I’m stressed. I’m nesting and demand cuddles. Come overHarry frowned and double checked who the text was from. Yup, it still saidLouis - Grad, which meant it was from Louis from his grad school.aka Louis texts Harry by mistake. It works out
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 45
Kudos: 1274
Collections: 1D A/B/O Fic Fest





	Tastes like Strawberries

**Author's Note:**

> I used the prompt "I'm stressed out, I gotta nest and cuddle. Please come over?" and took it... in a much dirtier direction than I planned. Whoops.
> 
> Enjoy. And thank you to the mods for running a wonderful fest!!

_I’m stressed. I’m nesting and demand cuddles. Come over_

Harry frowned and double checked who the text was from. Yup, it still said **Louis - Grad** , which meant it was from Louis from his grad school. Their writing program only had fifteen students but because of schedules the students were usually split between the two professors who oversaw the program. Harry had only finally met Louis this semester, and only exchanged numbers with him when they had been teamed up to edit each other’s works.

They had never ended up texting either. Sure they were cordial during class - Harry would even go so far as to claim they were friendly, sometimes they would even go grab food before class - alone even! - but he hadn't thought they were at a level of...this. 

_are you serious?_ he texted back.

The typing bubble popped up immediately and before Harry knew it he was receiving a text back that said, _Get over here. I’m getting clingy_.

That… was really not right. Harry only had a vague idea of where Louis lived and he had a feeling that if Louis was truly trying to get ahold of _him_ he’d at least remember to tell Harry where he lived. But… that meant that whoever Louis _was_ trying to get ahold of didn’t know he needed him. Harry didn’t have a ton of experience with nesting omegas but he had some, and he knew that nesting omegas needed to be coddled, usually by their alphas.

He sighed and texted back, _On my way, Louis_ before making his way in the general area he knew Louis’ building was. Louis lived in on-campus housing. It was a good thing Harry’d had a late writing lab with one of his professors or else he’d be at home, nowhere near campus. He supposed once he got to the building he was pretty sure Louis lived in he could just … sniff Louis out.

God that seemed so medieval, but it wasn’t like he had any other option. He didn’t know how deep into the nesting sensation Louis was. There was a chance if he got told he had the wrong person he could drop - feeling abandoned. It would be safer if Harry broke the news to him in person so that way he could be with him while he texted _the right person_ , whoever that was.

And that was definitely not something Harry wanted to think about. He wasn’t in any position to be critical or _jealous_ of who Louis spent nesting time with. Sure. Louis seemed like a wonderful omega, a delight to be around, who lit up any room he was in. And yes, Harry harbored a minor crush on the omega, but really? Who wouldn’t? It was a passing fancy, Harry knew. One that would never come to pass. Especially since he seemed to have someone else.

Harry sighed to himself as he approached the building. He entered the main door, scanning his student ID at the front desk. He took a deep breath and tried to sniff out Louis. It took him a moment, because he’d never allowed himself to truly scent Louis before - it was rude - but he was pretty sure he picked up on Louis’ soft floral scent.

He took the stairs, hoping that would give him a more accurate reading of where Louis’ flat was, and he was rewarded on the third floor with Louis’ scent getting stronger. He followed it passed four doors before he got to a corner unit that had a whiteboard on the door with “RA TOMMO” written at the top.

 _Cute_ , Harry thought. He hadn’t lived in a dorm since undergrad, but he remembered how whiteboards were used to communicate with your fellow dormmates. It seemed like Louis was also an RA, so he probably used it to get left messages from other students who lived here.

Harry knocked twice, shifting his weight as he listened to what was going on inside the flat. There was movement, and he heard Louis curse, before the door flung open.

Louis stood there in a hoodie, joggers, and the fluffiest pair of socks Harry had ever seen. His hair was tousled, like he’d been running his hands through it, he had more scruff than Harry remembered ever seeing on him, and he had dark circles under his eyes that hadn’t been there two days ago during their shared class.

“Harry? What are you doing here?” Louis’ voice was scratchy and he rubbed his chin. “How do you know where I live?” He was looking Harry up and down and Harry swallowed. It did not seem good to just show up at an omega’s door, especially when you didn’t actually know where they lived.

“You texted me?” Harry asked, fishing his phone out of his pocket.

“What? No I didn’t?” Louis’ eyes seemed a little unfocused and Harry wondered how far into the nesting sensation he was.

“I mean, I don’t think you meant to text me, but you did? Asking me to come over?”

Louis blinked and his eyes refocused on Harry’s phone. “What?” He patted his side and pulled out his own phone. “Shit. I meant to text Lottie.”

It was Harry’s turn to blink. “I’m? Sorry? How did you mess that one up?”

Louis was shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter. You’ll do. Come on in.” He grabbed Harry by the wrist and pulled him into his flat. “Take off your shoes and get in here.”

Harry’s head was spinning. “But? Your alpha?”

“What? No alpha. Lottie’s my sister. My _omega sister_. I’d wanted her to cuddle me as like - familial thing - but I’ll take what I can get. Shit it’s hitting me hard this time around. Fucking midterms.”

Louis didn’t have an alpha. He’d been trying to text his sister, another omega, for some omega-on-omega comfort. Harry kicked off his shoes and let himself be pulled through the flat into Louis’ room. His flat was surprisingly bare, just two proper rooms, with the kitchen and living room sharing a space. Louis seemed to own a sofa, and two posters that he hung up with tape, and nothing else in that area.

His bedroom was slightly more personal, and crowded. There was a desk smushed between the bed and dresser, and it was overflowing with papers that covered his laptop. His room smelled heavy with his scent, and Harry could tell from that what exactly was going on with Louis and it was absolutely _wild_.

Harry knew the basics of the nesting instinct. A lot of omegas took suppressants to regulate their heats. Some suppressants were strong enough that the heats stopped entirely, leaving on the deep feeling of needing to nest in its place. Instead of being out of their mind with lust, most omegas were just needy for some touch and a place of their own.

“Take off your coat. And the shirt you’re wearing,” Louis said as he let go of Harry’s wrist and crawled into his bed, where a frankly giant nest of blankets and sheets was piled up, wrapping into a cocoon. Louis made himself at home in the center of it, curling his body against one side of the nest, and looking at Harry impatiently.

“Uh?” Harry said. He was in no way prepared for this. “I’m sorry. My shirt?”

“I need skin to skin.”

“But you’re…” he gestured at the fact Louis was still wearing clothes that covered him heads to toe.

“I’m cold,” Louis said, the most coherent sounding he’d been since Harry had gotten there. “Besides, I’m the one who needs to touch not you. Now come on.” Louis frowned as something seemed to register to him. “You don’t have an omega do you? I never smelled anyone else.”

“No!” Harry was quick to correct that idea, just as he removed his coat and his worn t-shirt, leaving him in his own pair of joggers. He didn’t know what to do with them, unsure if the scent would be a welcomed addition to Louis’ nest, but as he started to put them to the side Louis snatched them both and used them to fill out a pillow behind him, before making grabby hands for Harry.

True to Louis’ words his hands were cold and Harry hissed as he was pulled into the nest. He felt bad for disrupting it as he did, but Louis didn’t seem to mind as he forced Harry to lie on his back as he shoved his face in the crook of his neck, and ran his hands up and down Harry’s side.

This was. The weirdest thing Harry had ever done. He’d never actually nested with an omega before. He’d shared a couple heats, which were their own thing, but this was a different level of intimate. He stared up at the ceiling and tried to figure out what had led to this moment. Was he supposed to talk? Would that help Louis through whatever was going on? Should he touch Louis back? Finish wrapping his arm around Louis’ back and pulling him closer.

He closed his eyes and let himself focus on the sound of Louis’ breathing. He hadn’t realized how rapid it was, how it matched the rabbiting of his heart. Louis must have been running on adrenaline, considering how stressed he seemed to be. But that was calming down now that they were curled up together inside his nest.

“Feeling? Better?” Harry dared to ask, as he heard the way Louis’ breath was evening out. Louis nodded against his shoulder, and Harry decided he could ask a few more questions. “What happened? If you don’t mind?”

“It’s fucking stupid,” Louis muttered against his neck. The warmth of his breath sent a shiver down Harry’s back but he pushed that instinct aside. That wasn’t the point right now. “But Daniels decided last minute she didn’t want to write a midterm for her 101 class so she tasked me to do it, but I’m swamped with editing my thesis, and writing three other short stories for different classes. And on top of that my heat’s supposed to be coming, and I’d planned to ride it out as an actual heat you know? Cause you need to like, let your suppressants breathe or something, but when this all landed on my plate I panicked and jumped back on my suppressants before my heat started and now I’m just,” he whined and shoved his face as deep into Harry’s neck as he could.

Harry curled his arm around Louis the whole way and pulled him close. He shushed him, hoping the low sound of his voice helped calm him. He felt the way Louis’ hands curled into fists as he took deep breaths.

“I’m a fucking mess,” Louis breathed out.

“It’s okay,” Harry said, for nothing else to say. “I got you. I’m here.” He rubbed Louis’ back and hoped his scent was enough to soothe Louis. “Breathe me in.” Louis did just that, taking a deep breath against his neck. “There we go. Here, this is something my mum always told me to do when I was getting anxious. What do you smell?”

He couldn’t see Louis’ face, but he heard the way he was taking deep breaths. “Strawberries.”

“Okay good.”

“You smell like strawberries. It’s why,” his voice sounded far away. “It’s why I texted you instead of my sister. I have her in my phone as _Straw_ , and you’re in as _Strawberries_.”

“What?”

“She bleached her hair when she was like sixteen and I told her it looked like straw. Nickname stuck.” Louis pulled his head out of Harry’s neck and his eyes were glazed over.

“You have me in your phone as _Strawberries_?”

Louis nodded. “Always wondered if you tasted like them too. Your scent is so overpowering. Do you do it on purpose?” Harry’s eyes went wide as he watched, and then felt, Louis dip his head down and lick his neck. Louis hummed. “Not quite like what I was imagining.”

“What?” Harry breathed out. “What are you doing?”

Louis licked another part of his neck, closer to his windpipe, and Harry swallowed. “Trying to find out where the strawberry scent is coming from.”

 _Oh no_ , Harry thought. Louis was not thinking clearly. He was probably wrapped up in the loop of not-really-heat and the nesting instinct that made him want to wrap himself up in the scent of whoever he was cuddling. He gently pushed as Louis’ shoulder and hoped it would distract him.

It did the opposite. Louis used the force of the push to lift himself up and move down Harry’s chest. He pressed a kiss to his collarbone, and then kept going lower.

“Louis,” Harry said. “Louis, I think you’ll want to stop.” His voice was getting weak as he felt himself reacting to Louis’ touch. He grabbed hold of Louis’ shoulders, and gave him a little shake. “Louis.”

Louis looked up at him, his eyes glassy. “I don’t want to stop. Trying to find the strawberries. I told you, always wondered.”

Harry stared at him, taking in the sight of his blown pupils, his puffy pink lips, surrounded by the scruff of his facial hair. “I don’t think there is any strawberries, baby,” maybe nicknames would be a key to getting through to him. “Come back up to my shoulder and we can cuddle.”

Louis shook his head and dipped his head down, wrapping his lips around Harry’s nipples.

“Oh fuck,” Harry gasped. None of his previous partners had ever tried to play with his nipples before. That wasn’t exactly something to do to an alpha. He knew they got tight when he was hard, but besides a few touches when he was younger he’d left them well enough alone. 

That had clearly been a mistake.

Louis’ lips were tight around his nipple as he sucked on it, using his tongue to push back as he sucked.

“Fuck, fuck,” Harry chanted. He dug his hands into Louis’ hair and tugged on it. Was he trying to push Louis away? Was he trying to pull him closer? Harry didn’t know.

Louis moaned around his nipple and it sent a thrum up his spine. His cock throbbed in his joggers and it took all his will to keep his hips planted firmly in the nest of blankets against the bed. He would not rut against Louis. The omega was in the throes of a tangled headspace and Harry couldn’t- wouldn’t take advantage.

Louis let his nipple go with a pop and another moan. “No strawberries there.” He seemed like he was almost teasing, and he sent Harry a grin. “Gotta keep going.”

Harry took a deep breath. “Told you. There are no strawberries. Scent doesn’t work that way. You have to know that.”

Louis shook his head. “Nope,” he was practically sing-soning it. “There’s gotta be strawberries somewhere. I’ll find them.”

Harry tried to grab at him again but he was always making his way down Harry’s body, kissing, and licking, and _biting_ \- that was a new one. He nipped right above Harry’s bellybutton before he licked right over it. Harry shivered as he squeezed Louis’ shoulders. He could feel Louis’ fingers down at the top of his joggers and his breath was coming heavier in anticipation of what Louis was going to do to him.

His cock was hard, pressing up against the fabric, and the traitorous part of his mind couldn’t wait to hear what Louis thought of the fact he wasn’t wearing pants underneath his joggers. He shifted his hips, trying to entice Louis to get on with it.

Louis took his time. He kissed down the trail of soft hair on Harry’s belly, only shifting to the side to kiss and lick his hip bones. Harry had to stop himself from giggling from how ticklish he was, and Louis gave him a glassy eyed, lit up smile.

And then he pulled Harry’s joggers down.

Harry bit his lip. His cock stood hard and proud. He couldn’t believe this was his life.

Louis hummed, looking pleased with himself as he pulled Harry’s joggers down even further, passed his thighs, and then his knees. He pressed a kiss to his left knee as he pulled the joggers off, carefully putting them behind him to pad out the nest. Then he settled himself in between Harry’s legs and started to work his way up.

Harry gasped and shivered as he spread his legs. His cock twitched as he watched Louis kiss his way up his inner thigh. The scruff of his facial hair tickled a bit as it rubbed against his thighs, but it also felt so good. Harry couldn’t believe this was happening. He needed- he needed to make sure everything was okay.

He grabbed a fistfull of Louis’ hair and stopped him, giving him a soft shake to get his attention. His eyes still glassy, Louis looked at him.

“You want this?” Harry asked. He knew, even in the throes of heat, omegas instinctively knew what they wanted. It was a mistake to think they didn’t. Their bodies might react, but given their own freedom they could stop.

Louis’ grin was a little loopy. “You want this?” He didn’t sound like he was mocking Harry.

“Lou,” Harry breathed out. “Yes, or no.”

“Yes,” Louis answered, and then he pulled himself free.

If Harry thought he’d go straight for his cock he was wrong.

No. Louis had something else entirely on his mind.

Harry gasped in surprise as Louis went lower, behind his balls. He froze before he could react and the flat of Louis’ tongue licked over his hole.

“What the-” his question was cut off by Louis doing it again.

This wasn’t - omegas didn’t _do this_. But here it was, happening.

It felt… different than he would have thought. Different because it felt _good_.

Louis nipped at the rim next, his scruff scratching an even more sensitive place, and that was it. Harry was behind this happening one hundred percent.

“Oh fuck,” he moaned, tangling his fingers in Louis hair.

He didn’t even care that his cock was left untouched, as long as Louis kept licking him. This needed to happen much more often.

Louis was making happy noises down there as he used the flat of his tongue to get Harry wet like a fucking omega, and it felt so good. He threw his head back and got hit with Louis’ scent as he smooshed his face in the blankets of the nest. It surrounded him, probably like how his own scent was surrounding Louis right now.

And wow, that made sense. Why Louis would be doing this. If he needed scent.

The thought of Louis being so driven by his scent as to start eating him out was enough for his cock to start to dribble. He didn’t want to stop touching Louis though to touch it.

Maybe it would be possible to come untouched?

Harry had never done that before of course - hadn’t even made an omega do it before - but it sure felt like it was going to happen. Especially when Louis changed how his tongue was being used and started to practically rub the tip of it against Harry’s rim.

He pulled back just enough to breathe out, “think I found the strawberries” and that shouldn’t have been hot, it _should have killed the mood_ but Harry was a livewire. He was so on edge. He was practically shaking from it.

“Wanna taste it?” He slurred the question. It didn’t even make sense, but it seemed to be enough for Louis to go back to working Harry open with his mouth, leaving his gasping for air underneath him.

“Fuck, fuck,” he chanted as he felt Louis’ tongue press inside him. No one had ever been inside him and wow it felt so personal and intimate and he wanted to rub back against Louis’ tongue, against his mouth, get Louis in there deeper.

Why had he never had this happen before?

He’d been missing out.

He’d been missing out so much, he’d never felt an orgasm hit like that before. Shooting white light behind his eyes, as his back arched. He felt his come hit his stomach as his whole body went tight, even around Louis’ tongue which was buried inside him.

“Shit. Holy shit,” he cried, letting go of his stranglehold on Louis’ hair so he could wrap his fingers around his knot, giving it some reprieve.

Louis didn’t come up right away. He stayed down there, buried between Harry’s cheeks, giving him little kitten licks. It sent shivers up his spine at every single stroke, and his cock continued to spill out on his hips, pelvis, and stomach. He stared in wonder as he squeezed against his knot, stroking just a little over it to watch himself come more with every ministration.

Eventually Louis came up for air, grinning like a cheshire cat. His lips were wet and he rubbed his jaw as he looked down at the mess Harry had made. “Might have left you a little raw,” he said, before he dipped down and licked at the cooling come on Harry’s hip.

Harry gasped. He wanted to ask what Louis meant, but the gasp shifted him and he understood. That nice scratching sensation against the sides of his cheeks he’d enjoyed while Louis had been rimming him, left behind a slight tingle that almost burned. “Worth it,” he said as he got himself comfortable in the nest.

He reached for Louis, wanting to pull him up to cuddle, and check to see if he had come too. Louis seemed more relax, though his gaze was still very hazy. Louis didn’t let him though, not until he had cleaned up Harry’s stomach of all the come. He even nudged his hand away from his knot with his nose so he could lick away the come that had dribbled down his cock.

Finally he let himself be pulled up to Harry’s shoulders, still dressed in his hoodie and joggers and fluffy socks. Harry reached down to grab his cock and found it was soft, the inside of his joggers wet from his own come.

“Tasted like strawberries,” Louis whispered, nuzzling against Harry’s neck.

Harry huffed a laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

He heard Louis’ breathing even out and while he probably should at least try and get clothes on, he found the sound soothing enough to lull him to sleep as well.

***

Louis woke up with a stuffy head. He groaned at the bright light in his room, and rolled over. He frowned when he bumped into a warm body and the previous night came rushing back to him. He blinked as if it would clear the fog of the nesting instinct and stared at Harry. Harry who was asleep next to him, still here after being dragged inside by an overly needy Louis who proceeded to throw himself on him.

Louis groaned. That was just brilliant. Fucking omega instincts that ran wild when his inhibitions were down. He might as well been drunk at a club and throwing himself on the alpha.

He was surprised Harry stayed after all of Louis’ bad puns and him _eating him out_. That was something alphas usually frowned upon in his experience. And by frowned upon he very much meant they would not let him near there no matter how much he begged or pleaded.

Harry had been different. He’d been receptive, and from what Louis had remembered, he’d tasted good. Not like strawberries, obviously, and wow he was an idiot for sticking to that whole thing as a seduction route. His omega sucked.

Though maybe not as much as he thought since the alpha he’d been pining after all semester was here, naked, in his nest.

Shit he was in his nest.

Louis clammored out of the nest, leaving Harry alone there, and headed to his kitchen. That was a thing omegas did after having an alpha spend the night wasn’t it? They treated them to a nice hearty breakfast to show how appreciative they were or something domestic. Louis had no idea. He just knew that now that Harry was here he didn’t exactly want him to leave. Not until he got a promise from Harry that he’d come back. And maybe let Louis eat him out again. That would be cool.

Louis made a stop at the bathroom to brush his teeth and freshen up before going to his kitchen and trying to figure out if there was anything there he could make that would seem appropriately omega-y to serve to an alpha. The issue was, Louis was kind of a crap omega? He was sure Harry gathered that from the fact he fucked up his suppressants and then touched his arse, the premium no-go zone for most alphas. But he was also crap at all the omega stuff like house cleaning and cooking. He had exactly one box of takeout, enough milk for a bowl of cereal, and a half pint of blueberries.

His pantry wasn’t much better, but he spotted the tin of oats behind his usual sugary cereal and he of course had some tea, so he set about making that up on the stovetop. He was just getting the water boiling when Harry stumbled out of his room dressed.

Louis’ stomach sunk a little and he tried to smile. “I’m making oatmeal?”

Harry blinked at him. He was just as beautiful as always, his hair curling around his neck and his eyes a gorgeous shade of green. “It’s two thirty in the morning.”

“What?” Louis looked around for a clock, but of course there wasn’t one. “It is?”

“I showed up at like six, so we probably fell asleep by seven? Seven thirty?” Harry ran his fingers through his hair. “Are you feeling better?”

Louis didn’t have his phone on him and he felt a little lost. “What? Yeah the whole.” He wiggled his fingers in the air. “I mean the nesting instinct is still there but it’s better. I’ll just need to like, wrap myself up in some sheets or something.”

Harry nodded. “Good. Good, that’s good. You were really out of it.”

Louis sighed as the kettle bubbled and he popped it off the heat so he could pour himself a cup. “Cuppa?”

“Sure,” Harry said. “If you want me to stay. I don’t want to like-”

“No, no. You’re good. I’m the one who should be apologizing. For texting you and throwing myself on you.”

“I mean I should have fought back more.” Harry looked around for a seat and Louis felt bad for his bare minimum flat. He didn’t have a lot of people over, since he didn’t let the residents in here. He had a sofa but it wasn’t in a good angle to talk to someone in the kitchen so Harry was left standing there awkwardly while Louis tended to the oatmeal. “Or I would have. But like. I didn’t mind. What you did. What we did. I don’t regret it.”

“Good,” Louis said a little too quick. “I don’t either. Regret it.”

“Good,” Harry echoed him. He looked down at his mug. “Would you want help?”

Louis stared at him. “Help?”

“With the midterm? I haven’t taken a 101 course in forever but I’m sure if you give me some guidance I can help? I’ve finished most of my midterms so you can focus on your short stories while I-”

“Are you even fucking real?” Louis asked before he dived for Harry, pulling him over for a kiss.

When they broke the kiss Harry was panting hard. “What was that for?”

“How are you even real?” Louis repeated. “You show up here, and then you don’t run for the hills when I eat you out, and now you’re offering to help me?”

“You said you were stressed?” Harry seemed unsure. “And of course I showed up. You said you were nesting and I thought you were trying to get ahold of your alpha and I worried you’d drop so I needed to make sure you got ahold of your alpha?” Louis nodded, unable to resist kissing Harry again. Maybe he was still deeper in the nesting instinct than he thought. “And uh, the arse eating, it was my first time but I really liked it? So if you wanted to do it again I wouldn’t mind? I’d like to reciprocate though. Eating you out I mean.”

Louis grinned. “That could be arranged.”

Harry’s eyes darted down the line of his body and it made Louis feel desirable. “Yeah?”

Louis nodded, pushing himself close enough so his body was flush against Harry’s. “Yeah. Let’s get back to my nest and-”

A hissing sound filled the room and Louis floundered, turning around in time to see his pot of water and oats boiling over. He cursed. Harry cursed. They both sprung into action, working together to get the stovetop turned off and the pot pulled away. Harry dumped it into the sink and Louis burned himself trying to wipe up the hot surface and boiling water.

They traded a look once it was all cleaned up and then they burst into laughter.

“Come on, Louis,” Harry said, opening his arms. “Let me take you back to your nest and give you a cuddle. And in the morning I’ll get you some proper food, okay?”

Louis went into his arms easily, the pull of his nest calling. “That sounds divine.”

Harry kissed the top of his head and lead them both back into his bedroom, where they could cuddle and Harry could ease his nerves.


End file.
